Help Save the Lives of Abandoned and Abused Animals

Please donate to our Capital Campaign by entering your donation in the box to the left.

Thank you for supporting the Kansas Humane Society's "A New Leash on Life" Capital Campaign. Please make your tax-deductible donation to our Capital Campaign by entering your donation on this page. All donations from this page will go directly to our Capital Campaign fund. More information is available through our Development Department at (316) 524-1590, ext. 211, or by emailing koberg@kshumane.org.

As the largest animal shelter in the state, the Kansas Humane Society has a unique responsibility to be a community leader in developing and implementing solutions to the problems of pet overpopulation. Clearly, we cannot accomplish this task alone. In recognizing this, we have developed a collaborative partnership with the city of Wichita's Animal Shelter to engage in a once-in-a-lifetime project - the creation of the Wichita Campus for Animal Care.

Bound by a single vision to end the euthanasia of all healthy or treatable animals in our community, the collaboration of these two organizations will serve as a model for animal care organizations around the country.

At the Wichita Campus for Animal Care, to be located at K96 and Hillside, the Kansas Humane Society and the Wichita Animal Shelter will operate in two separate facilities, but have collaborative programs that serve the community in the best possible way.

This public/private partnership - the first of its kind in the Midwest - provides numerous benefits:

. Eliminates duplication of services
. Ensures that public and private dollars are utilized in the most efficient way
. Makes it easier to reunite lost pets with their owners
. Increases convenience for the public through a "one-stop shopping" concept
. Ensures that all pets in the city of Wichita are spayed or neutered prior to adoption
. Strengthens youth education programs teaching the importance of responsible pet ownership
. Creates community-based solutions to Wichita's growing pet overpopulation problem

Creating a community that no longer accepts euthanasia as an appropriate response to pet overpopulation requires a multitude of other forward-thinking and future-focused programs as well.

A. Humane Education - The Kansas Humane Society is the primary source of humane education activity in Wichita and surrounding areas. The Education and Training Center will expand and strengthen vital youth and adult education programs to better address community need.

B. Adoption Services - The adoption of healthy and happy pets to loving and responsible owners is our ultimate mission. The Adoption Center serves to match prospective pets with the right families. We know that this process is critical to a successful, long-term bond between people and their companion animals.

C. Medical Services - The KHS Medical Center is an essential component of our mission to help solve the problems of pet overpopulation in our community. All animals are spayed or neutered and microchipped prior to adoption. The medical center will also include space where sick or injured animals can receive life-saving treatment.

D. Animal Care Services - The Animal Care Center has been specifically designed to ensure the physical and behavioral health of every animal in our care. Specialized plumbing, air handling and kennel systems will allow these areas to be properly sanitized and reduce disease transmission.

E. Community Services - KHS will enlarge its role as a vital community resource by offering pet behavior classes, in-home behavior consultations, volunteer opportunities, private pet cremation services, canine safety classes for public servants such as postal workers and meter-readers, shelter pet visits to nursing home residents and retirement centers, and effective collaboration with other organizations in our community.

PROJECT RESULTS

. We will end the euthanasia of all adoptable animals in our community within five years of opening our new campus. Current animal population estimates indicate we will be able to save 10,000 animal lives a year once this goal is met.

. Comprehensive education programs will provide quality-learning opportunities to thousands of Wichita's children - helping them grow up to be responsible pet owners.

. The number of animals adopted from the Kansas Humane Society will increase from 5,000 to 10,000 in the first year.

. Every animal adopted in the city of Wichita will be spayed or neutered prior to adoption.

. The number of families successfully reunited with their lost pets will double - to 3,000 - within the first year.

. Community-based solutions will decrease the number of pets being brought to local animal shelters.

. Duplication of services between the Kansas Humane Society and the Wichita Animal Shelter will be eliminated, utilizing private donations and public tax dollars more effectively.

. Other communities will look to Wichita as a model for effecting positive change in animal welfare.

WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE PROJECT

Those benefiting from this project are numerous and varied.

. The Kansas Humane Society is the primary source of humane education activity in our community. As a result of our new Education and Training Center, children will learn about the importance of respect and compassion toward other living things.

. Children will also learn about the importance of spaying or neutering their pets, increasing the likelihood that they will grow up to be responsible pet owners.

. Local school students will benefit from in-classroom presentations, such as Be Bite Free, where children learn how to stay safe around unfamiliar dogs.

. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts can earn merit badges through our programs or work on volunteer projects to obtain community service hours.

. At-risk youth will benefit from programs such as Teaching Love and Compassion (TLC), which will provide adolescents opportunities to train and work with shelter animals who need extra attention. This program provides lifetime lessons in love, compassion and responsibility.

. The Kansas Humane Society often provides emergency pet boarding at no cost to individuals or families who are experiencing temporary homelessness or other life-altering events.

. Veterinary students from universities as far away as Britain come to KHS for internships, where they obtain vital surgical skills.

. The Kansas Humane Society is often the only resource available for people who must relinquish their pet because of job loss, military deployment or other major transitions.

. Youth with developmental disabilities who volunteer at the Kansas Humane Society increase their independence and gain important skills for employment.

. Nursing home or retirement center residents benefit through Project Companionship, a program where volunteers take shelter animals to visit and interact with seniors.

. Low-income families benefit from our Prevent another Litter program, where KHS provides spay/neuter surgery for pets whose owners are unable to obtain it elsewhere.

. Families experiencing the loss of a beloved pet can memorialize their faithful companion through the Kansas Humane Society's private pet cremation program.

. The Kansas Humane Society provides classes, workshops and seminars specifically designed to help families deal with problem pet behaviors, such as chewing, biting or other destructive behavior.

. Ultimately, all residents in our community will benefit as we work together to build a community that exemplifies integrity and respect for all living things.
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